France: Almost a million 'love locks' removed from Ponts-des-Arts Bridge

Almost a million padlocks are being removed from the Ponts-des-Arts Bridge in Paris, Monday, ending the relationship that Parisians and tourists have formed between the iconic bridge and their testaments of love. For years, people have locked their love symbolically to the bridge, with many then throwing the keys into the Seine River. The seeming permanence of the act, however, has now come to an end. The love locks total over 700,000 and purportedly weights the equivalent of 20 elephants. The weight of the symbols of love was putting the bridge into jeopardy, leading to advocacy group 'No Love Locks' to form. After a long campaign, the advocacy group have achieved their goal of preserving Paris' World UNESCO Heritage sites from the grip of love sick tourists. Parisian authorities will now install protective glass panels to prevent the practice from re-emerging.